Silverleaf

This short leaf succulent grows up to 11 feet (3.4 meters) tall. The wide stem is silver, and is covered in brittle brown spines. The toothed-edged, asymmetrical leaves are found in grey, aquamarine and faded red varieties. Thick bunches of them grow from the base like rose petals. The leaves are delicate, but are very difficult to pull away.

It is slow growing, taking 39 years to reach maturity. Once mature, and only under the right conditions, several flowers with solid purple petals and a peach central disk grow at the top, reappearing after 8 years, but only when the conditions are right again. The flower head is made up of 57 petals; the lower layer of petals are flat, while the upper layers form a tight sphere. It has a soft scent that smells like rich perfume.

The leaf succulent's skin is thick, the grey flesh is smooth, and the faded red sap is thin.